CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities are making swift and substantial changes after a recent review highlighted specific policy gaps and broader cultural concerns about how they handle sexual harassment and other misconduct.

Attorneys at a Manchester law firm released investigative reports March 27 covering the general policies and procedures at the four University System of New Hampshire institutions – University of New Hampshire, Keene State College, Plymouth State University and Granite State College – as well as four specific incidents involving misconduct by coaches or athletic department staffers at Keene and UNH.

The reports found numerous areas of concern, including confusion about employees’ duty to report suspected misconduct, and recommended a slew of changes related to policies, educational programs and procedures for responding to complaints.

Three of the four incidents arose at Keene State, where a softball coach was accused of inappropriately touching a player and making derogatory, gender-based comments; a track coach was accused of inappropriate touching and making sexual comments; and a men’s basketball coach was accused of having a history of sexual harassment going back two decades. All three were fired.

Well before the reports were released, school President Anne Huot initiated more than half a dozen changes, including mandating training for all faculty and staff and hiring additional staff with expertise in Title IX, the federal law that prohibits gender discrimination and regulates institutions’ handling of sexual violence.

“What the reports reveal are similarities in terms of patterns of behavior, and some similarities in terms of the length of time over which things occurred, and so there’s clearly a call there for change,” Huot said. “I think the actions I took last January to start those investigations and ultimately to dismiss those employees whose allegations had been substantiated was an important first step, but it’s not enough.”

Keene State also has conducted training to help students better understand how to identify and report inappropriate behavior. And by July 1, it will restructure its athletic department to clarify staff roles and the lines of authority. In each of the four investigated incidents, coaches took on inappropriate parental or peer-like roles that became the norm, the lawyers said.

At UNH, where a former director of basketball operations was accused of secretly taking photos of players in a locker room, investigators noted the widespread reluctance of student athletes, former athletes and a staff member to report the misconduct despite pervasive rumors and concerns.

UNH President Mark Huddleston said the university is redoubling its efforts, not just in athletics but across the entire campus, to communicate reporting responsibilities under Title IX. He also has created a task force to look beyond compliance with the rules and toward creating a stronger culture of community at the university.

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